The present disclosure relates to a sheet conveying device, such as a relay conveying unit which conveys a sheet on which image is formed to a post-processing device, and an image forming apparatus which includes this sheet conveying device.
There is a post-processing device which performs post-processing, such as staple processing and hole punching processing, on a sheet on which image is formed by an image forming apparatus, such as a copy machine or a multifunction peripheral. Meanwhile, an image forming apparatus provided with an internal sheet discharge portion in which a sheet is ejected is spreading to meet a demand for miniaturization.
When a post-processing device is jointed to an image forming apparatus having an internal sheet discharge portion, a relay conveying unit is required to form a conveying path for a sheet traveling from the image forming apparatus to the post-processing device. The relay conveying unit is generally provided with an openable cover to perform processing for jammed sheet.
The relay conveying unit is arranged in the internal sheet discharge portion of the image forming apparatus, and, if the height of the image forming apparatus is lowered for miniaturization, the height of the internal sheet discharge portion also lowers. Hence, it is difficult to secure a sufficient opening/closing angle of the cover in the relay conveying unit arranged in the internal sheet discharge portion, and therefore a jammed sheet needs to be processed in a narrow space.
Hence, there is an image forming apparatus including a relay processing unit in which a cover member is configured to turn in parallel by a link mechanism to open a conveying path with an uniform height over the entire area of the conveying path.
Generally, on a lower surface of the cover of the relay conveying unit, a plurality of projections, such as a positioning boss, a pressing projection which presses a switch of an opening/closing detector, and a hook projection which keeps the cover member in the closing state, is provided. A plurality of these projections may obstruct an operation for processing jammed sheet in a narrow space, and therefore the number of projections is preferably small as much as possible. However, this problem cannot be solved even if the cover member can be opened and closed in parallel as in the above-described image forming apparatus.